Irene Kain was the only lady of the Kain Duchy. She was the daughter of the blonde, blue-eyed Duke of Kain and the silver-haired, green-eyed Duchess. She was a member of the imperial family from birth, and her only complex was that she had monopolized the love of the duke couple and grew up without any shortcomings.

With brown hair and brown eyes, a small face, and a cute and lovely appearance, she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman. However, everyone knew that she did not resemble the Duke and Duchess. They vaguely thought that she must have looked like her distant ancestors. The duke and duchess didn’t care much about it, but Irene hated it. In front of her, the woman presented by Royal Consort Shaiya ignited her sense of entitlement.

With blue eyes like her father and silver hair resembling her mother… Eyes as big and refreshing as her younger brother Varin… Especially her plump lips, her face was just like that of the duchess… She resembled the duke so much that anyone could think she was his child.

“This… What…!”

Irene’s hands trembled uncontrollably. It was unbelievable. This couldn’t be happening.

“Calm down, Your Majesty. There are more people who only resemble others in appearance than you think!”

The duke shouted to calm down the empress.

“Royal Consort Shaiya, how dare you conspire against the duke!”

“Heh, you should check it for yourself. If you ask the officials here right now, you’ll find out!”

“Where are you speaking nonsense from? Your Majesty, I have never left the palace even once! Besides my wife, I haven’t had any other children, let alone a child born outside of marriage! Where did you bring this child who resembles us so much and insult us like this!”

Duke Kain stepped forward and expressed his anger.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

Royal Consort Shaiya laughed like a madwoman.

“Illegitimate child? A child born outside? No! This child is the child of Duchess Kain. That day, when the duchess gave birth to a child by her side, the maid who was supposed to be there disappeared, you know? Hahaha…! I switched the child. I brought a child from a humble family, a family of commoners, and swapped them… I’ve been waiting for the day to seek revenge on the Roa Empire that trampled upon our kingdom!”

“Wha– Switched the child?! That’s absurd!”

The Duke and Duchess’s eyes flickered with disbelief as they verbally denied it endlessly. After giving birth to the child, the midwife handed the baby over to the maid. The maid wrapped the baby in a clean cloth and briefly left to wash the baby in a warm bathtub prepared in the adjacent room before returning.

The midwife had first told the duchess that it was a beautiful silver-haired princess who resembled the duchess. However, the child brought in by the maid who was washed was a child with brown hair. The midwife muttered if she had seen it wrong. The duchess thought that the midwife was talking nonsense because she was in a hurry after giving birth to the child. But now, a memory that she had passed over and forgotten at the time suddenly crossed her mind.

“This prince of the empire is a child born to a lowly daughter of a courtesan! I’ve been waiting for this day… I’ve been waiting for this day! Ha ha ha…! If you go to my palace, you will find her lowly mother! Check it out for yourself. Ha ha ha ha… Ha ha…”

Queen Consort Shaiya, shouted like that and took out a small dagger from her sleeve and plunged it into her own heart.

“Ha ha ha… Cough… Ha ha ha ha ha… I’ve been waiting for this day… Ha ha ha…”

It was only after her chilling laughter stopped and she collapsed to the ground that the silence settled in the hall. No one could even make a sound. It was an eerie silence.

Then, the duchess collapsed with a thud, breaking the silence. That was just the beginning. Screams and uproars erupted from all over. There was chaos everywhere. The emperor was furious and the empress also lost consciousness and collapsed. The emperor shouted and the guards rushed in. The woman who had been trembling in the middle of the hall until then sat down on the floor.

“First, lock up this woman in the tower! We will investigate the truth.”

At the emperor’s command, the guards dragged away the woman who had been sitting in the middle of the hall.

Afterwards, Irene, whose identity was confirmed, took her place as the empress, pushing Irene, who had been sitting in the empress’s position, into the position of a concubine. Her exceptional power played a significant role, just like the divine women of the nation. Upon assuming the empress’s position, she received the congratulations of many imperial subjects in the imperial square.

Divine power represents the will of those who use it.  

Usually, a small beam of light is manifested in the form of the wielder’s will. It takes on various forms such as small butterflies, birds, or cats and dogs.

And what Irene showed in the square that day were sharp blades, needles, and thorns. Hundreds and thousands of sharp blades spread out in all directions.

That’s how she began to slaughter the imperial citizens gathered in the square.

“The punishment of God for demons… punishment…!”

Countless blood was shed. At that moment, Irene, who had been pushed into the concubine’s role, also fled. She then managed to obtain a black stone in her hand. Taking advantage of the weakened seal due to the abundant blood, Dain seduced her.

– I’ll spare your life. If you want to live, give me Roa’s blood… –

In this way, Dain, the one whose seal had been released, overpowered Irene, and the entranced Irene, one by one… offered her blood to him.

* * * *

The villainess Irene who killed the most people in the novel… That was me.

Rin clenched her hands in tension.

She had been trying to find Dain’s other weakness for two months, but she couldn’t find it. However, Rin believed that she would never die… She believed that… But she couldn’t help but be nervous.

“Don’t be too nervous. You’ll actually feel very good.”

Dain slowly wrapped his hands around Rin’s face.

“A child is not my type, but–”

His soft lips covered Rin’s small lips.

His warm and smooth tongue carefully entered her mouth, caressing her lips. Was it because of the contract or because he was too beautiful? Rin was drawn to him.

His little mouthful of tongue completely wrapped around Rin’s small tongue and slightly pulled it out and let it go. When he went deeper, he slightly brushed against the roof of her mouth and pulled back out.

– Chu!

When Dain removed his wet lips, a small sound echoed loudly in the silent room.

Rin slowly opened her eyes and looked at Dain with a tightened gaze.

His face no longer showed the ease and joy that were present when he first entered the room.

Instead, he was looking at Rin with an unfamiliar, cold, and angry expression.

“…Why isn’t it absorbing?”

Rin stood there, tense.

“You…what are you?”

Rin knew from Dain’s reaction that her gamble had succeeded. He couldn’t take her soul.

Dain looked at his own hand. On the back of his hand, the mark of the contract was clearly visible. There was nothing wrong with the contract.

– “Dainvaid receives Irene Kain’s soul as payment.”

– “Irene Kain demands that Dainvaid fulfill her wishes until she dies.”

– “To fulfill her wishes until death, isn’t that an unfavorable contract for me?”

– “If safety is confirmed in two months, you can take Irene Kain’s soul…”

– “But still, not everything. Safety for you…and a contract that doesn’t harm me.”

The terms of the contract that day were simple and clear.

Since they had used each other’s blood as a medium, they couldn’t lie.

Dain saw it clearly. The soul that existed within Rin’s blue eyes, which he had never seen before… The dormant extraordinary power within that soul would give him more than half… No, even greater strength, he believed.

He calculated that once he devoured that creature in the palace, he would fully awaken.

And now, he looked at Rin, who was clearly showing fear in her eyes and looking at him with her head held high.

“Ha!”

It was ridiculous.  

Something was wrong, and he knew it, but he didn’t know why, and that made it all the more unbearable.

“Can you…explain it, little master?”

Dain’s tone was that of a servant who spoke with a mischievous grin, but there was none of the laughter like before.

“I…have never told a lie. That should be clear!”

“…Yes, you have never told a lie. Otherwise, the contract would not have been established.”

Yes, going crazier wouldn’t make the contract any more normal. But he couldn’t take the price.

“I am Irene Kain. But at the same time, I am not Irene Kain.”

Rin had thought about the price of the contract when she first summoned Dain.

Her power was strong, but she was still too young to use it as a price. She would not be a good deal for Dain. That’s why she thought of Irene Kain.

And Lee Inha…that was why Rin took the gamble she did.

Originally, a contract had to be carefully checked, verified, and stamped.

How much loss did I lose by not being able to do that… I worked at a convenience store from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Ha, even thinking about it now makes me grind my teeth together.

She thought it was 8,500 won per hour, but it turned out to be only for the early morning hours.

At night it was 7,500 won… She found out when she received her salary a month later. Who could she blame? She had already signed the contract.

And she hadn’t lied at all.

– “Irene Kain demands that Dainvaid fulfill her wishes until she dies.” –

She couldn’t be sure if Irene Kain’s soul really existed…she couldn’t be sure. She was sure that she had become Irene Kain by entering this novel, but she didn’t know where the original owner had gone. But I am Inha.

She was sure of that. That’s why she proposed it to Dain.

I’ll give you Irene Kain in exchange, so grant me whatever I desire until the day ‘I’ die.

Dain must have thought it wasn’t a bad deal for two months since he agreed to it as a price for two months. So he must have been affectionate during the trip.

But Rin knew what would happen to Dain as he gradually regained his strength. She never intended to use such a cheat code only a few times and then throw it away.

“…Someone else?”

“No, I am Irene Kain, but at the same time, I am not. I can’t explain any further.”

It’s true. How can Rin explain a possession in a novel that she herself cannot understand?

“…So you are Irene Kain, but…the soul belongs to someone else.”

Rin thought for a moment and nodded her head. Dain was silent for a while. The energy around him was too harsh, so Rin sat cautiously on a chair away from him.

“Well, I guess I’ve been working for nothing until now.”

Dain wouldn’t admit it at first, but it seemed like he had reached a conclusion.

“…You should be careful later. I’m not a devil who can just go around doing things for free.”

“…”

“Phew…whatever. It’s ridiculous, but…ha! It’s really ridiculous…”

Dain shook his head and walked towards the window.

“Dain…”

“Why? Are you trying to apologize now?”

“No…where are you going now?”

“I have to find another contractor. You’re not worth anything.”

“But we’re still in a contract.”

“…”